"Ei rahaa, vaan elämää varten" : vapaaehtoisia eläkevakuutuksia koskenut poliittinen keskustelu 1995 - 2005.

Vapaaehtoinen eläkesäästäminen on yleistynyt voimakkaasti 1990- ja 2000-luvulla. Yksityishenkilöiden huoli omasta taloudesta demografisten haasteiden edessä on voimistunut. Säästämisen syyt ovat moninaiset: suurin osa haluaa varautua vanhuuden päiviin, osa haluaa hyötyä veroedusta ja osa kokee vakuutuksen sijoitusmuotona muiden joukossa. Yksityisen henkilön eläkesäästäminen poikkeaa kuitenkin muista säästämismuodoista poliittisen luonteensa vuoksi. Eläkesäästämisen poikkeavalla verokohtelulla on pyritty kannustamaan ihmisiä paikkaamaan tulevaisuuden lakisääteisten eläkkeiden pienuutta sekä samalla pyritty ohjaamaan eläkkeelle jäämisen ikää. Tutkimusaiheena on vapaaehtoinen eläkesäästäminen ja sen verokohtelussa tapahtuneet muutokset lamavuosien jälkeisestä ajasta, vuodesta 1995 aina vuoden 2005 työeläkelainsäädännön kokonaisuudistukseen asti, jolloin uudistettiin myös vapaaehtoista eläkesäästämistä koskeva lainsäädäntö. Keskeinen tutkimuskysymys on, miten poliittisessa keskustelussa on perusteltu vapaaehtoisen eläkesäästämisen poikkeuksellista tukemista. Työn keskeinen aineisto käsittää tutkimuskirjallisuuden lisäksi valtiopäiväasiakirjoja aikaväliltä 1995- 2005 sekä valiokuntien ja työryhmien mietintöjä ja raportteja. Lisäksi työssä on tutkittu sanomalehdistöä sekä vakuutusalan vaikutusta keskusteluun haastattelujen avulla. Aineiston lukutapana on löyhästi käytetty poliittisen retoriikan tutkimusta. Työn keskeinen tutkimustulos on hyvinvointivaltion kehityksen ja eläkepolitiikan liittyminen toisiinsa vakuutuksen välityksellä. Demografiset paineet ja julkinen keskustelu ovat lisänneet kansalaisten huolta omasta eläkeajan toimeentulosta. Kun hyvinvointivaltion rahoitusmahdollisuuksiin ei enää luoteta, on tarve omiin ratkaisuihin lisääntynyt. Perustelut koskien vapaaehtoisen eläkesäästämisen poikkeavaa verokohtelua ovat olleet sekä poliittisia että taloudellisia. Poliittisesta keskustelusta on erotettavissa kolme selkeää perusteluryhmää. Ensimmäinen argumentaatioryhmä korostaa demografisia haasteita, toinen sijoitustuotteiden tasa-arvoistamista ja kolmas eläkevakuutuksen täydentävää roolia lakisääteisen eläkkeen rinnalla.

Suomalaisten yritysten vapaaehtoinen sosiaalinen vastuu : Sidosryhmäviitekehys yritysten ja ulkoisten sidosryhmien edustajien näkemyksissä

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is no longer only an issue of companies but a concern shared by e.g. the European Union, the International Labour Organization, labour market organizations and many others. This thesis examines what kind of voluntary corporate social responsibility exceeding the minimum level set in the legislation can be expected from the Finnish companies. The research was based on the interviews of some representatives of Finnish companies and of external stakeholders. Earlier Finnish empirical research on the topic has solely analysed the stakeholder thinking and the ethics of the views of the company representatives. The views of the external stakeholders brought ht up a much more versatile perspective on the voluntary corporate social responsibility of the companies. That is the particular surplus value of this research. This research, founded on stakeholder thinking, evaluated what kind of starting points and ideas on responsibility the views of the representatives of the companies and the external stakeholders were based on the voluntary social responsibility. Furthermore, the research also investigated how their views about the corporate social responsibility indicated the benefits achieved on the cooperative actions with different partners - for example companies, communities and public administration. To fulfil the aims of the research, the following questions were used as part tasks in mapping the basic foundations and starting points expressed by the representatives of the companies and the external stakeholders: 1) How do laws, directions concerning social responsibility of companies, and opinions and demands of the stakeholders guide and affect the voluntary corporate social responsibility? 2) How can companies assume voluntary corporate social responsibility in addition to their core functions and without compromising their profitability, and how does, for example, the tightening competition affect the possibility of taking responsibility? 3) What kind of ethic and moral foundations is the corporate social responsibility based on? 4) What kind of roles can companies have in securing and promoting the well-being of citizens in Finland and on the global market as one subsystem of the society? The views on the voluntary corporate social responsibility of nine big companies, one medium-sized company and one small company, all considered responsible pioneer companies, were studied with surveys and half-structured theme interviews between 2003 and 2004. The research proceeded as a theory-bounded study. The empirical material and the previous stakeholder thinking theories (Takala 2000b, Vehkaperä 2003) guided the thesis and worked abductively in interplay with each other during the research process. (Tuomi, Sarajärvi 2002.) The aims and the methods of the research and the themes of the interviews were defined on the basis of that information. The aims of the research were surveyed qualitatively with the strategy of a multiple case study. Representatives from nine big peer companies and nine external stakeholders were interviewed with half-structured themes between 2004 and 2005. The external stakeholders and the peer companies were chosen with the "thinking" of theoretical replication by Yin, according to which the views of the representatives of those groups would differ from those of the pioneer companies and also from those of each others. The multiple case study supports analysing the internal cohesion of the views of different groups and comparing their differences, and it supports theoretical evaluation and theory-building as well. (Yin 2003.) Another reason for choosing the external stakeholders was their known cooperation with companies. The spoken argumentations of the company and stakeholder representatives on the voluntary social responsibility of the companies were analysed and interpreted in the first place with an analytic discourse analysis, and the argumentations were classified allusively into the stakeholder discourses in three of the part tasks. In the discourse analysis, argumentations of the speech is seen to be intervowen with cultural meanings. (Jokinen, Juhila 1999.) The views of the representatives of the pioneer companies and the external stakeholders were more stakeholder-orientated than the views of the representatives of the peer companies. For the most part, the voluntary corporate social responsibility was seemingly targeted on single, small cooperation projects of the companies and external stakeholders. The pioneer companies had more of those projects, and they were participating in the projects more actively than the peer companies were. The significant result in this research was the notion that, in particular, the representatives of the pioneer companies and external stakeholders did not consider employing and paying taxes to be enough of reciprocal corporate social responsibility. However, they still wanted to preserve the Finnish welfare model, and the interviewees did not wish major changes in the present legislation or the social agreements. According to this study, the voluntary corporate social responsibility is motivated by ethical utilitarianism which varied from very narrow to very wide in relation to benefits achieved by companies and stakeholders (Velasquez 2002, Lagerspetz 2004). Compared with the peer companies, more of the representatives of the pioneer companies and of external stakeholders estimated that companies in their decision-making and operations considered not only the advantages and the benefits of the owners and other internal stakeholders, but also those of the external stakeholders and of the whole society. However, all interviewees expressed more or less strongly that the economic responsibility guides the voluntary responsible actions of the companies in the first place. This kind of utilitarian foundation of behaviour appeared from this research was named as business-orientated company moral. This thesis also presents a new voluntary corporate social responsibility model with four variables on the stakeholder discourses and their distinctive characteristics. The utilitarian motivation of a company s behaviour on their operations has been criticized on the grounds that the end justifies the means. It has also been stated that it is impossible to evaluate the benefits of the utilitarian type of actions to the individuals and the society. It is expected however that companies for their part promote the material and immaterial well-being of the individuals on the global, national and local markets. The expectations are so strong that if companies do not take into account the ethical and moral values, they can possibly suffer significant financial losses. All stakeholders, especially consumers, can with their own choices promote the responsible behaviour of the companies. Key words: voluntary corporate social responsibility, external stakeholders, corporate citizenship, ethics and morality, utilitarianism, stakeholder discourses, welfare society, globalisation

Predictors of disability retirement: From early intentions to retirement

The strong tendency of elderly employees to retire early and the simultaneous aging of the population have been major topics of policy and scientific debate. A key concern has been the financing of future pension schemes and possible labour shortage, especially in social and health services within the public sector. The aging of the population is inevitable, but efforts can be made to prevent or postpone early exit from the labour force, e.g., by identifying and intervening in the factors that contribute to the process of early retirement due to disability. The associations of intentions to retire early, poor mental health and different psychosocial factors with the process of disability retirement are still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of intentions to retire early, poor mental health, work and family related psychosocial factors and experiences of earlier life stages with the process of disability retirement. The data were derived from the Helsinki Health Study (HHS, N=8960) and the Health and Social Support Study (HeSSup, N=25 901). The Helsinki Health Study is an ongoing employee cohort study among middle-aged women and men. The Health and Social Support Study is an ongoing longitudinal study of a working-age sample representative of the Finnish population. The analyses were restricted to respondents 40 years of age or older. Age and gender adjusted prevalence and incidence rates were calculated. Associations were studied by using logistic, multinomial and Cox regression. Strong intentions to retire early were common among employees. Poor mental health, unfavourable working conditions and work-to-family conflicts were clearly associated with increased intentions to retire early. Strong intentions to retire early predicted disability retirement. Risk of disability retirement increased in a dose-response manner with increasing number of childhood adversities. Poor mental and somatic health, life dissatisfaction, heavy alcohol consumption, current smoking, obesity and low socioeconomic status were also predictors of disability retirement. The impact of poor mental health and adverse experiences from earlier life stages, work and family related psychosocial factors, e.g., work-family interface, the subjective experience of well-being and health related risk behaviours on the process of disability retirement should be recognised. Preventive measures against disability retirement should be launched before subjective experience of ill health, work disability and strong intentions to retire early emerge.

Geenipankkitutkimuksen eettiset kysymykset ja Ulrich Beckin riskiyhteiskuntateoria

Geenipankki on yleistä lääketieteellistä tutkimusta varten kerätty kokoelma geenitietoa sisältäviä näytteitä sekä muita potilasta koskevia tietoja. Geenipankkeja voidaan käyttää esimerkiksi populaatiogeneettiseen tutkimukseen, tietylle taudille altistavien geenien löytämiseen, kliiniseen tutkimukseen ja farmako­geneettiseen tutkimukseen, jossa tutkitaan geneettisten tekijöiden merkitystä lääkkeen vaikutuksissa. Monet sairaudet johtuvat perimän (geenien), elämäntapojen ja ympäristötekijöiden yhteisvaikutuksesta. Kun samassa tietokannassa olisi tiedot sekä henkilön perimästä (DNA-näyte), potilastiedoista sekä elämäntavoista, voitaisiin tietoja yhdistelemällä eri tekijöiden osuutta sairauksien ilmentymisessä. Geenipankeissa on kyse ihmisillä tehtävästä lääketieteellisestä tutkimuksesta, jota koskevat eettiset lähtökohdat ovat 1) ihmisarvon kunnioittaminen, 2) yhdenvertaisuus, 3) henkilökohtainen koskemattomuus, 4) yksilön edun ensisijaisuus tieteeseen tai yhteiskuntaan nähden, 5) itsemääräämisoikeus, 6) suojeluperiaate, 7) vapaaehtoisuus, 8) yksityiselämän suoja, 9) tieteellisen tutkimuksen vapaus ja 10) elämän suojelun periaate. Tärkeitä käsitteellisiä erotteluja ovat tutkimus- ja hoitosuhteen ero sekä hoidollisen ja ei-hoidollisen tutkimuksen ero. Lähtökohdista seuraavia tärkeitä periaatteita ovat tutkittavan ensisijaisuus ja vapaaehtoinen tietoon perustuva suostumus. Geenipankkitutkimuksessa nämä periaatteet ovat ongelmallisia. Kun geenipankkeihin näytteitä kerätään yleiseen lääketieteelliseen tutkimukseen, luovuttajille ei voida antaa tarkkoja tietoja näytteiden käytöstä, kuten tutkimuksen tavoitteista, odotettavista hyödyistä, tulosten käyttötavoista, rahoituksesta, eturistiriidoista tai muista sellaisista asioista, jotka saattaisivat vaikuttaa päätökseen näytteen antamisesta. Valta päättää siitä, millaisiin tutkimuksiin ja tarkoituksiin näytteitä saadaan käyttää, saatetaan näytteen ottamisen jälkeen antaa eettiselle komitealle tai muulle asiantuntijaelimelle. Yksiselitteistä ratkaisua siihen, mitä tietoja, kenelle ja miten geenipankista voidaan luovuttaa, ei ole löydetty. Nämä vaikeudet geenipankkitutkimuksessa johtuvat osittain geenitiedon erityisluonteesta muuhun lääketieteelliseen tietoon verrattuna. Geenitieto asettaa lääketieteellisen etiikan periaatteet keskenään ristiriitaan tavalla, johon ei ole yksiselitteistä ratkaisua. Esitetyissä ratkaisumalleissa keskeistä tuntuu olevan pikemminkin periaatteiden kiertäminen kuin tasapainon löytäminen niiden välillä. Tästä huolimatta geenipankkitutkimusta ei ole kyseenalaistettu. Havainto sopii yhteen sosiologi Ulrich Beckin riskiyhteiskuntateorian kanssa. Beckin mukaan länsimaiset yhteiskunnat ovat muuttumassa riskiyhteiskunniksi. Tämä prosessi johtuu siirtymisestä yksinkertaisesta modernisaatiosta refleksiiviseen modernisaatioon. Tässä siirtymässä tieteen ja teknologian kehitys ovat keskeisiä. Geenipankit ovat Beckin käsitteiden mukaan yksinkertaisen modernisaation ilmiö. Geenipankkitutkimuksessa asiantuntijat käyttävät merkittävää valtaa ja tutkimuksen poliittinen säätely on epätäydellistä. Ongelmista huolimatta tutkimusta on silti yritettävä tehdä ja skeptikot nähdään irrationaalisina edistyksen vastustajina tai atavististen pelkojen vaalijoina. Geenipankkien puolesta käytetyt perustelut sopivat yhteen Beckin teorian edistysuskon kanssa.

Sinusta kiinni : Tutkimus puolisohoivan arjen toimijuuksista

Depending on you – A study of spousal care, everyday life and agency The present aim of the aging policy is to promote old peoples´ possibilities to live at their own home. It is also many elderly couples´ own wish. At home a persons spouse is the most natural care giver, if she or he is able to give care. Spousal care means living together, giving and receiving care and interdependency between the spouses. The aim of the policy is to support spousal care by paying financial support to a carer and arrang-ing formal home care services. The purpose of this research is to study the agency of care giving and receiving spouses as care givers and receivers and also as home care service users. The data of the study consist of the interviews of 21 elderly couples. Both spouses were interviewed seper-ately, with the exception of five couples who were interviewed together. In these inter-views a care receiver had difficulties in communicating by speaking and a spouse was her or his interpreter. The study is based on a social constructionistic and a discourse analytical view of con-struction of meanings in human communication. Talking is a social action: people achieve identities, realities, social order and social relationship through talking. In inter-pretating the spouses agency I have used of Harvey Sack´s method of Membership Categorization Device (MCD). The spouses construct social categories which made the meaning of their agency visible. Care changes the routines and actions of everyday life. The couples have to negotiate their duties and rights between each other. Care giving and receiving are both physical and emotional actions. In the end it becomes a part of the couples´ normal life. The pur-pose of couples´ action is to live together as long as possible. They want to strengthen both their own agency and their spouses´ agency. The living together depends on both of them. The spouses decided together what home care services they would like to use and on which conditions they have to use services. Spouses have different kind of agencies as service users which describe their relationship and confidency on formal home care support and services. Services must support the elderly couples´ shared life at home. They cannot be against the conditions on the spousal care. When you want to arrange services to elderly care giving and receiving couples, you have to consider their own wishes and the meanings of their own relationship and shared life.

Mistä työnantajat hankkivat työterveyspalvelut

Työnantajalla on vaihtoehtoisia tapoja järjestää työntekijöidensä lakisääteiset työterveyshuoltopalvelut sekä vapaaehtoinen sairaanhoito ja muu terveydenhuolto. Karkeasti jaotellen työnantajat voivat tuottaa työterveyspalvelut itse omilla työterveys-asemillaan tai hankkia nämä palvelut joko kunnallisista terveyskeskuksista tai yksityisistä lääkärikeskuksista. 2000-luvulla lääkärikeskukset kasvattivat merkittävästi osuuttaan työterveyshuoltopalvelujen tuottajana.

Ühis- ning erijooni Soome ja Eesti Kaitseliitude puhkpillimuusikas aastatel 1925-1934.

This study focuses on the similarities and differences between the Estonian Defence League and the Finnish Civil Guard brass bands during the period 1925-1934. By 1934 this paramilitary volunteer state defence organisation had reached stability in its development, such that social, cultural and patriotic education of the people - with the help of brass band music among other means- had acquired a significant role, in addition to prioritised military and sports activities. The study begins with introductory paragraphs I and II, which describes the founding of the organisations, their participation in the Wars of Independence and their subsequent peace time activities as well as their representation in the media at the time. The thesis also briefly introduces military music in Finland and Estonia, as well as describes the influence of military music on the Defence League brass bands. The period under review includes the global economic crisis, which undoubtedly concerned the Defence League/Civil Guard and the Lapua and War of Independence movements, which greatly affected the apolitical principles of the organisations. The main emphasis of the thesis is the Defence League/Civil Guard brass band`s musical activities in two counties - Etelä-Pohjanmaa and Pärnumaa, while also including a general overview of the Estonian Defence League brass bands´ activities. One of the most important benefits of the thesis is its introduction of the brass band repertoire in use at the time, which was played by both professional and as well as amateur orchestras the latter of which also included the brass bands of the Defence League/Civil Guard and the Fire Services. Brass band music held a secondary, yet significant position in the Defence League/Civil Guard, where the orchestra as a musical grouping was obliged to perform not only at inner-organisational and national celebrations but also at any event requiring brass band music, such as song festivals, singing days, and other local cultural events. The professional preparation of the band conductors at the beginning of the period under review was not well specialised, but the training of the Defence League/Civil Defence brass band conductors was carried out regularly in both republic according to the opportunities and dedicated training programmes available. The musicians of the Defence League/Civil Defence brass bands were at the same time members of the military organisations as well as amateur musicians, which placed upon them extra demands - they were under close public supervision in all situations. Based on the principle of chronology it appeared that both Finnish and Estonian respective organisations´ brass bands used the gradually improving economic situation for purchasing musical instruments, obtaining repertoire and training musicians/conductors. Despite the fact that brass band music in the Defence League/Civil Guard was considered an amateur activity and a hobby, the more far-reaching objective of the organisation was to resemble the Defence Forces´ orchestras as closely as possible in all aspects. The Defence League/Civil Guard brass band music definitely had a significant influence on forming, developing and enriching music life in both republics. The reviewed nine-year period introduced the musical activities of the Defence League/Civil Guard against the background of the everyday life of the organisation and the need for brass band music and its continuity in the voluntary state defence institutions of both republics.